It's another big Marvel '80s event in The Evolutionary War that ran through the annuals in the summer of 1988, as the High Evolutionary rededicates himself to enhancing humanity's evolutionary prospects while also eliminating beings he sees as inferior. 

In Stan's Soapbox, the Man tells all -- about what his role is as Vice-President of Creative Affairs at Marvel Animation, which boils down to him working with writers and artists to help guide their efforts. 

And in the New Talent Department, we get the results of this year's art contest, held at the Atlanta Fantasy Fair -- and in the pencilling category, it turns out to be the same guy who won last year, Keith Paul. J. Adam Walters took home the prize for inking, although Marvel's Managing Art Director Don Perlin had critiques for both of them. 

Marvel Age #64

Price: $0.50 US 

Pages: 36 (32 interior plus four covers)

On sale: March 15, 1988

Cover date: July, 1988

Copyright © 1988 Marvel Entertainment Group, Inc. 

• Tom DeFalco: Editor in Chief

• Jim Salicrup: Supreme Marvel Zombie

• Dwight Jon Zimmerman: Managing Editor

• Sholly Fisch: Coming Attractions

• Dawn Geiger: Designer

• Fred Hembeck: Sage of Marvel Age

• Craig Anderson, Steve Buccellato, Bob Budiansky, Bobbie Chase, Daniel Chichester, Margaret Clark, Don Daley, Daryl Edelman, Archie Goodwin, Mark Gruenwald, Larry Hama, Bob Harras, Glenn Herdling, Michael Higgins, Laura Hitchcock, Sid Jacobson, Terry Kavanagh, Ralph Macchio, Howard Mackie, Dwayne McDuffie, Marc McLaurin, Al Milgrom, Ann Nocenti, A.A. Perry, Carl Potts, Pat Redding, Mike Rockwitz, Marc Siry, David Wohl, and Gregory Wright: Consulting Editors

• John Romita: Art Director

• Don Perlin: Managing Art Director

• Donald C. Hudson, Christopher Ivy, and Rodney Ramos: The Raiders

• Virginia Romita: Traffic/Production Manager

• Len Kaminsky: Assistant Traffic/Production Manager

• Adam Blaustein: Manufacturing Coordinator

• Brenda Mings: Typesetter

• Jack Abel: Proofreader

• Paul Becton and Gregory Wright: Colorists

• Ron Frenz and Al Milgrom: Cover art

• Joe Albelo, Paul Becton, Harry Candelario, Rob Carosella, Hector Collazo, Harry Eisenstein, Doreen Frederick, Michael Heisler, Brad Joyce, Cindy Kruhm, Ken Lopez, Ed Magalong, Michael Maier, and Eddie Marcaro: Production

• Barbara Arnstein, Christine Aurilia, Kelly Corvese, Dwight Coye, Tom Fardy, Sue Flaxman, Jesus Gonzalez, John Lewandowski, George Roussos, Stu Schwartzberg, Mark Silverman, and Rodney S. Timmons: Friendly Assistance 

• Steve Sheffler: Rights and Permissions Editor

• Carol Kalish: Vice President Direct Sales

• Dale Kanzler: Assistant Direct Sales Manager Administrative

• Lou Bank: Assistant Direct Sales Manager Customer Service

• Steve Saffel: Promotion Manager 

• Irving Forbush: Devo-lutionary

Front cover 

• Characters: The High Evolutionary and Marvel heroes

 Inside front cover

• Salicrup's Section 

• Marvel Agenda (contents) 

• Masthead 

• Indicia 

Pages 1 - 5

Marvel Coming Attractions

Titles on Sale April 26

• Daredevil #257
• West Coast Avengers #35
• The Punisher #10
• Black Panther #2
• G.I. Joe Special Missions #12
• The 'Nam Magazine #1
• Web of Spider-Man #41
• Psi Force #22
• Wolfpack #1
• Nick Fury Vs. S.H.I.E.L.D. #2
• What The—?! #1
• Tales of G.I. Joe #8
• St. George #1

Titles on Sale May 3

• Groo the Wanderer #42
• Heathcliff #25
• Power Pack #39
• Hercules trade paperback
• The Amazing Spider-Man #303
• Star Comics Magazine #11
• X-Factor Annual 33
• Captain America #344
• Strange Tales #17
• The Savage Sword of Conan #150
• Alpha Flight #61
• Alf #6
• The New Mutants #66
• Solo Avengers #9
• D.P. 7 #22

Titles on Sale May 10

• The Incredible Hulk #346
• Silver Surfer #14
• Marvel Age Magazine #65
• The Avengers #294
• Conan the Barbarian #209
• Flintstone Kids #7
• G.I. Joe #74
• Silverhawks #7
• Doctor Zero #2
• The X-Men #232
• The Punisher Annual #1
• Marvel Fanfare #39
• Marvel Tales #214
• Justice #22

Titles on Sale May 17

• Conan Saga #15
• X-Factor #31
• Alien Legion #5
• The 'Nam #21
• G.I. Joe Comics Magazine #11
• Silver Surfer Annual #1 
• The Spectacular Spider-Man #141
• Classic X-Men #24
• Fraggle Rock #5
• The Official Marvel Comics Index to the Avengers #7
• The Fantastic Four #317
• Marvel Press Posters: Spider-Man by Todd McFarlane, Iron Man by Mike Zeck, and Thor by Ron Frenz
• Thor #394
• The Transformers #43
• Iron Man #233
• Last of the Dragons graphic novel 

Page 8

Newswatch

Item: Ann Nocenti is leaving staff to focus on writing; Terry Kavanagh and Bobbie Chase been promoted to editor. 

Item: Artist Jon Bogdanove based the look of Franklin Richards in Power Pack on his own son, Benjamin Kal-El Bogdanove. 

The Top Ten

1. X-Men #228
2. Excalibur #1
3. X-Factor #27
4. The New Mutants #62
5. The Amazing Spider-Man #299
6. Silver Surfer #10
7. Classic X-Men #20
8. The 'Nam #17
9. Web of Spider-Man #37
10. Spectacular Spider-Man #137

Page 9 

The Mutant Report 

Pages 10 - 11

Article: "Akira," by Sara Tuchinsky

Pages 12 - 13

The Marvel Age Interview: Ron Frenz, by Peter Sanderson

Pages 14 - 15 

Stan's Soapbox: "So What Does Stan Lee Do Anyway?" 

Willie Lumpkin, by Stan Lee and Dan DeCarlo

Pages 16 - 17

Hembeck's Page in Marvel Age

Page 18 

Marvel Trivia Quiz

Pages 19 - 

Article: "Super-Size Annual: The Evolutionary War," by Peter Sanderson

Covering events in these annuals: 

• X-Factor
• The Punisher
• Silver Surfer
• The New Mutants
• The Amazing Spider-Man
• Fantastic Four
• X-Men
• Web of Spider-Man
• The West Coast Avengers
• The Spectacular Spider-Man
• The Avengers 

Pages 26 - 27

The New Talent Department, by Glenn Herdling 

Pages 28 - 29

The Marvel Age - 1976 Part V, by Brian Nelson 

Pages 30 - 32

Letters column: "It Does Not Compute," suggested by Jonathan Barnes 

Inside back cover

Ad for The Draft 

Back cover

Ad for Nick Fury Vs. S.H.I.E.L.D. 

Return of the Jedi hit theaters on May 25, 1983, and with that, the original Star Wars movie trilogy was complete -- but the monthly Star Wars comic series continued with new adventures. The cast of the comic is pictured on the cover of Marvel Age #10, drawn by Ron Frenz (who only ended up drawing a handful of issues) with inks by frequent M.A. contributor Jack Abel. (Frenz is also the third Ron to draw a Marvel Age cover, after Ron Zalme and Ron Wilson. Sounds like...a Ronspiracy!) 

This is also one of the only times -- maybe THE only time -- the original Marvel Age logo was changed to go with the property on the cover. 

As you can see, the cast of the comic expanded on the movie's cast considerably! This issue features an interview with Star Wars writer Jo Duffy and editor Louise Simonson, who talk about what's coming up for Luke, Leia, Han and the rest of the cast without giving much away. 

Writer Archie Goodwin reveals the secret behind his return to Power Man and Iron Fist, a series that he wrote when it began in 1972 under the title Hero for Hire. Says Archie, "Well, Denny O'Neil had mentioned that he was looking for a writer to fill in while he as searching for a regular writer for the book, so I volunteered." Legendary, right? The planned three-issue run only ended up running two issues, #103-104, and then it was back to frequent fill-ins until Christopher Priest took over with issue #111. 

There's also an article on the long-gestating Alien Legion, with writer/creator Carl Potts talking about the series' beginnings eight years earlier. 

The New Talent Department spotlights inker Kathy Orlando, who seems not to have ultimately done much work in comics. 

And in this month's untitled letters page, readers voted on letter column titles including "Marvel Post-Age," "Marvel Mail Bagg-Age," "Age Page," and "Marvel Page." (Side note: not exactly sure when this practice started, but Marvel Age was always deluged with mail because they received all the letters addressed to Marvel Comics, as opposed to a specific comic or editor.) 

Four dollars for 12 issues? What a bargain! 

Marvel Age #10

Price: $0.25 US 

Pages: 36 (32 interior plus four covers)

On sale: October 10, 1983

Cover date: January, 1984

Copyright © 1983 Marvel Comics Group, a division of Cadence Industries Corporation. 

• Editor-in-Chief: Jim Shooter

• Editor and Design Director: Jim Salicrup

• Editorial Assistant: Mark Lerer

• Art/Production Coordinator: Dan Crespi

• Assistant Art/Production Coordinator: Ron Zalme

• Production: Joe Albelo, Harry Candelario, Rob Carosella, Morrie Kuramoto, Ken Lopez, John 

  Morelli, and Barry Shapiro

• Typesetters: Nancy Dodaro, Brenda Mings, and Jay Zilber

• Colorists: Paul Becton, George Roussos, and Glynis Wein

• Proofreader: Alice Roth

• Friendly Assistance: Lynn Cohen and Margaret Clark

• Cover Artists: Ron Frenz and Jack Abel

• Direct Sales Manager: Carol Kalish

• Assistant Direct Sales Managers: Peter David and Lea Sapp

• Corner Symbol who thinks he's a droid: Irving Forbush 

Front cover 

• Characters: All the Star Wars

 Inside front cover

• Subscription ad for Marvel Age

 

Page 1

• Contents

• Masthead 

• Indicia 

Editorial: "And the Beat Goes On..." by Jim Salicrup 

Pages 2 – 5

Marvel Comics Coming Attactions 

Comics on sale December 27

• The Thing #10

• Daredevil #205

• New Mutants #14

• Ka-Zar #31

• Hercules #3

• The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe #15 - special "Book of Weapons" issue

• Six from Serius #1 (sic)

Comics on sale January 3

• Amazing Spider-Man #251 -- Spidey mysteriously disappears! 

• Captain America #292

• Thor #342

• Indiana Jones #16 (sic)

• Savage Sword of Conan #98

• Dr. Strange #64

• U.S. 1 #9

• X-Men/Micronauts #4

• The Generic Comic #1

• Tarzan of the Apes #1

Comics on sale January 10

• Incredible Hulk #294 -- the Hulk mysteriously disappears! 

• Avengers #242

• Conan #157

• Marvel Tales #162

• X-Men #180

• Rom #53

• Power Man and Iron Fist #104

• G.I. Joe #22

• Marvel Age Magazine #13

Comics on sale January 17

• Fantastic Four #265 -- more on these mysterious disappearances! 

• Marvel Team-Up #140

• Iron Man #181

• Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #89

• Defenders #130

• Star Wars #82

• Alpha Flight #9

• Coyote #5

• What If #44

• Jack of Hearts #4

• Micronauts Special Edition #5

Page 5

Note -- What If #43 gets a content update 

Special Note on heroes mysteriously vanishing in this month's Coming Attractions. 

Page 6

Newswatch

Announcing Marvel Press, which will publish posters and portfolios

Page 7

Behind the Lines

"Ideas," written and illustrated by Archie Goodwin 

Pages 8 - 11

Article: "Beyond Star Wars," by Patrick Daniel O'Neill

Interview with editor Louise Jones and writer Jo Duffy

Pages 12 - 13

Article: "The Elektra Saga," by D. Jon Zimmerman

Pages 14 - 16

Article: "Who Are the Futurians," by Sandy Hausler

Pages 17 - 19

Article: "Archie Goodwin Returns to Power Man and Iron Fist," by Robert J. Sodaro

Pages 20 - 22

Article: "Beauty and the Beast," by Mark Lerer

Interview with writer Ann Nocenti

Pages 23 - 25

Article: "The Alien Legion," by Mark Lerer

Pages 26 - 28

New Talent Department

Spotlight on inker Kathy Orlando 

Page 29

Marvel Wants You 

Page 30

Ad for the Jack of Hearts miniseries

Pages 31 - 32

Untitled letters page

Inside back cover

Ad for Beauty and the Beast

Back cover

Ad for Conan the King #20